DEFENDING Chronicle Kennet League Division 1 East champions Suttons A's faces were as red as their shirts after crashing 83-66 to Desborough at Chalfont Way.

It was a rare home defeat for Suttons and their performance on the night fell well below the standards expected from skipper Ken Nash.

He fumed: "I think we thought we only had to pick up a bowl and we would win."

The spirited visitors sensed Suttons were rattled over the closing stages and upped their game.

Tom Searle's four piled in seven shots over the final four ends to beat Colin Brooks' rink 22-11 and Bill Hing's charges won the last five ends to seal a 20-15 win over the Nash four.

Paul Cadman's rink at least made Eddie Orme's rink sweat for their 24-21 win having led 22-7 after 14 ends.

The home side's only points came courtesy of the Duncan Christie four, whose three at the 19th went a long way to securing their 19-17 win.

The win moved Desborough up to third in the table, ahead of Windsor & Eton, while Reading regained second place with a narrow two-point win over visitors Wokingham A to narrow the gap between themselves and Suttons to eight points.

Marc Riviora's 22-18 win over Ray Parker and Mike Newman's 26-8 return paved the way with Wokingham now seriously facing the prospect of Division 2 bowls next season along with bottom club Maiden Erlegh.

Woodley could be one of the teams to replace them as they kept their Division 2 East promotion prospects alive at Woodford Park with a far from convincing 83-72 win against visitors Three Mile Cross.

Ifor Thomas's 24-11 win over the Kenny Baker four and Peter Hardy's 21-15 defeat of Rod Fenner's men sealed the win, keeping them 12 points clear of third-placed Sunningdale, who clinched a 75-73 home win over mid-table Caversham.

Suttons B continued their march towards the Division 3 East title as they made up for their first team's disappointment by thrashing Desborough B 14-0 at York Road.

John Francis led home their highest winning rink 27-13, while title rivals Great Hollands maintained their promotion push with an 89-73 home win over Reading B.

Trentham A gave themselves another boost in their league survival campaign when they won 88-86 away to fellow strugglers Hungerford.

Wins from rinks of Michael Collins (28-14) and Bernard Lambert (29-21) proved crucial as the Purley kings opened up an eight-point gap over their hosts.

Wallingford and Huntley & Palmers both had the evening off in Division 2 West, but leaders Morland, led by Barry Dillon's 40-15 return, marched on with a crushing 113-54 win over bottom club Pangbourne.

Prospect Park also eased their relegation worries with a 102-61, 13-point haul, against visitors Burghfield.

Roger Tabor dropped their only point in a 15-15 draw as Robert Gardiner (28-13), Alan Brown (28-21) and Pete Holder (31-12) all handed in the plus cards.

The Tilehurst club remained on target for a season's double as their unbeaten B team marched on imperiously to the Division 3 West title with a 101-53 win away to second-placed Kintbury.

Denis White's 29-5 return the evening's star turn as Tilehurst, unsullied in eight games, opened up a 29 point lead at the top.